Scouts renovate Midland Beach memorial

Advance photo/Jamie LeeWorking toward Eagle Scout, Enrico “R.J.” Cucco IV, 17, of Midland Beach, helps maintain the Veterans Memorial, located near the intersection of Midland Avenue and Father Capodanno Boulevard.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- MIDLAND BEACH -- When Midland Beach resident Enrico “R.J.” Cucco IV had to come up with a service project to earn his promotion to Eagle Scout, he decided to give back to his own community.

This past weekend, Cucco, 17, recruited his family and other members of his Boy Scout troop to help with a major renovation project at the Midland Beach Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of Father Capodanno Boulevard and Midland Avenue.

“It was looking so run down,” said the St. Peter’s High School student. “Since this is my community, I wanted to help out and make it look better.”

A member of Troop 193 since the first grade, Cucco has been working for the past few months on a new blueprint for the stone monument, which was dedicated to those who fought in World Wars I and II.

In August, he and a team of volunteers ripped out all the weeds and dying flowers, replacing them with a smooth gravel bed.

Pavers from Best Patio, some of which were donated by the Bloomfield garden center and some purchased after bake sale and car wash fund-raisers, create a perimeter wall that feeds into a small viewing stand in the center.

That work was completed this weekend, and the smaller, centrally-located flower bed prepared for planting.

“Probably over the course of the project, I was able to get 20 to 25 people to help,” said Cucco. “It wasn’t easy making it all work, considering the slope of the ground.”

Maintaining that parcel of land has been the responsibility of Troop 193, which is based at St. Margaret Mary’s R.C. Church, for the past several years.

“That plot was given to the troop to look after when the older caretakers passed away,” said troop committee chairman John Massa, who was out there with a shovel helping Cucco and his fellow Scouts. “The torch was passed to us, but in recent years getting the flowers donated and maintaining it has become more difficult.”

The redesign allows for a simpler floral arrangement, that will be easier to preserve.

“I want people to know that this is the stuff that the Scouts do,” said Massa. “It isn’t just running around in the woods and camping. We give back to the community.”

Anyone interested in working with Troop 193, or becoming a scout, can contact Massa at 718-873-3706.

Jamie Lee is a reporter for the Staten Island Advance. He covers the West and South Shores and may be reached at jamielee@siadvance.com.